The present invention relates to a debris remover and more specifically to an improved debris locator and remover for debris or foreign material located in the bladed region of a turbomachine.
Infrequently, debris or other foreign material is transported into the bladed region of a turbomachine. If the debris becomes lodged between stationary and rotating blades, damage to the turbomachine may be caused. Therefore, it is important not to operate the turbomachine until the debris is removed.
There are various methods and devices known in the art for locating and/or removing debris. One present method for locating and removing debris lodged between adjacent blades of a blade cascade in a turbomachine is to raise or remove the bladed rotor from the turbomachine casing in order to gain sufficient access to the remainder of the machine. By removing the bladed rotor, an operator can visually locate and remove the debris. For large turbomachines, this known method requires lengthy down-time for the turbomachine, is costly from a labor standpoint, and requires extensive lifting and supporting equipment. Furthermore, the removal of the bladed rotor creates the potential for its damage during both removal and reinstallation.
It is also known in the prior art to use a fiberoptics cable which is insertable into a turbomachine such as a jet engine. It is possible to view, in succession, the stator vanes to inspect them for damage without requiring the disassembly of the engine. Such an apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,312 to MacKenzie, et al.